Window screen securing device



April 22, 1941.

L. FZJULIEN wmn'ew SCREEN SECURING DEVICE Filed June 13, .1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Qnnentor Zea/s Z TJuh April 22, 1941. JULIEN 2,239,389

WINDOW SCREEN SECURING DEVICE Filed: June 13, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Bu v ,7 r Gttornegs April 22,1941. F. JULIEN WINDOW SCREEN SECURING IjEVICE Filed June 13, 1938 s Sheets-Sheet s Biwentor Zea/51150 0 Z attorney-S Patented Apr. 22, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WINDOW SCREEN SECURING DEVICE Application June 13, 1938, Serial No. 213,398

12 Claims.

This invention relates, in general, to window screens and to means for mounting and securing same in place, and, in particular, to that type of screen used in conjunction with places of detention, such as hospitals, penitentiaries, asylums, and other detention homes.

In the development of the detention type of window screen much thought must be given to the ways and means for preventing its removal from the mounting after its assembly thereon, and to the construction of the screen and its mounting so that the inmate is neither able to dismantle the screen nor to use any of its parts for tools or weapons for causing his escape or injury to himself or others.

With these purposes foremost, one of the objects of this invention is to improve the detention type of window screen so that same cannot be removed by the inmate of the detention home.

Another object of the invention is to improve the construction of the detention type of window screen so that it cannot be raised, lowered, or pried open by the inmate within the room enclosed thereby.

Another object herein is to provide a detention type of window screen with novel means whereby said screen can neither be removed by the inmate nor by anyone else without the use of a specially designed tool which, when properly applied, ermits the ready and easy removal of said screen.

Another object of the invention is to provide said specially designed tool by which said detention window is made removable.

Other objects and advantages will become readily apparent from a reference to the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, of which there are three (3) sheets and in which:

Figure l is a fragmental front elevation of a window and screen, partly broken away, and showing the invention incorporated therein;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view of the structure shown in Fig. 1 and taken along the lines 2-2 therein;

Fig. 3 is a vertical end elevational view, in part, of the structure shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a'vertical sectional view showing the screen in place and one of the windows in open position;

Fig. 5 is a section taken along the lines 5-5 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective View, in part, of the window sash and showing thereon in detail the retaining means for a screen;

:Fig. 7 is a plan View of a tool shown in conjunction with a screen and sash, the latter being shown in section, and the tool being in operative position for removing the screen from the sash;

Fig. 8 is a front elevational view of the screen with the tool, shown in dotted lines, in operative position thereon;

Fig. 9 is a perspective View, broken away, of a portion of the structure shown in Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a front elevation of an assembly of window and screens;

Fig. 11 is a fragmental elevational view of a modified form of mounting means shown in Fig. 1, and showing a housing for said mounting means; and

Fig. 12 is a section taken along the lines 12-12 in Fig. 11.

A metal window sash, generally indicated at it, is shown as being provided with the usual vertical and horizontal frame bars'by which are permanently supported the various lights of window glass. illustration only, is shown with two ventilation openings 12, each of said openings being formed by a frame M and adapted for being closed or opened by an auxiliary sash l6. Pivoted to each side of the frame It, such as at l8, and to each side of the sash l5, such as at 26, is an arm 22 for permitting swinging motion of sash IS, the sash It being provided at each side of its lower edge with a member 24 which is in sliding engagement with a slot 26 in each side of frame l4, whereby the sash i6 is given a compound sliding and swinging movement upon opening or closing thereof.

A screen frame 28, having a panel of wire mesh 36 appropriately secured thereto, is shown as being solid and rectangular in cross section with its members securely joined together, but it is obvious that said frame can assume any shape or construction as long as the purpose thereof will be served. At or near the center of each vertical member of the screen frame 28, on the rear face thereof, there is formed a slot 32 extending from side to side of said member, each of said slots being in horizontal alignment with the other. In the region of each slot 32 therebehind and in a cut-away portion provided therefor in each of said vertical screen frame members there is secured a plate 34, by means of rivets or screws 36, said plates each having a portion extending horizontally outwardly from the frame 28 and provided at its outward end with a forwardly extending flange 38. As will be seen, the slots 32 are made deep enough so as to provide openings through the vertical frame members of the frame it after the plates 34 have been secured in place, and that the recesses for the plates 34 are made deep enough so that the rear faces of plate and frame will be substantially flush for affording proper fitting between screen frame and sash frame upon assembly.

For holding the screen frame 28 in place on the frame M of opening 12, there is secured on each front vertical facing of the frame It a spring The sash ID, for purposes of its horizontal portion, and the front facing of frame M, there is secured a pair of plate members 4i: and 48 of different heights, plate fill being the lower as well as the rear plate. The positions of the bracket ill and the plates 46 and 48 are such that, when the screen frame 28 is assembled on to the frame M, the outwardly pro.- jecting portion of each plate 3G on the frame 28 can be snapped downwardly past the clip portion 4d of each bracket 50 and rest on top of its respective plate 48, the flange 38 of each plate 34 just clearing the outer edge of the bracket 4D so as to hold the frame 28 against side-to-side movement, the assembly being such as to hold the screen frame 28 in flush engagement with the frame it for opening [2. It will be noted in Figs. 6 and 7 that the edge of the clip portion. 4 3 of bracket 60 adjacent the opening i2 is inwardly cut, such as at 59, the purpose of which being later explained. The horizontal portion of the clip 4' 3 of bracket 4!] prevents upward displacement of the screen frame 23 from the frame Hi, and the flanges 33 prevent distortion of the frame 28 which would result if the frame 28 were pushed outwardly from within or if a sharp wedging tool were applied from within between the frames l4 and 23. It is obvious that the above explained retaining structures for the screen frame can be supplied in greater numbers than as shown, one per side, but it is not necessary to use more than that number. If the size of the screen frame calls for support at more than one place per side, the additional support can comprise a simple outwardly extending lug on the screen frame which engages one leg of a springless Z-shaped bracket the other leg of which being securedto the frame M. Such a simple structure would prevent outward and downward movement of the screen frame at that point.

In order to effect the removal of the screen frame 28 from the frame id when the operator is in the detention room, there is provided a collapsible tool, generally indicated at 52, said tool comprising a pair of relatively movable arms 5&- slidable within a pair of collars 55, and a pair of handle members 53; One of the collars 55 is provided with a set screw 68 by means of which the distance between the outer ends of arms 54 can be adjusted and maintained. The outer end of each arm 5% is beveled, such as at 82, to provide thereat a substantial knife edge, each of said ends being adapted, when the arms 54 of tool 52 are extended, to fit into and extend through one of the slots 32 in the screen frame 25, the knife edge 52 engaging the cut-in portion 5% of the spring bracket 4% and forcing the latter forwardly away from the top of the outwardly extending portion of the plate 34 on the frame 28 and-permitting said frame 23 to be slid upwardly away from the bracket it. Since each of the arms 54 of the tool 52 is now in its respective slot 32 which is walled in at the rear by the plate 34, and since the arms 54 have been presumably lockedv together in their extended positions by the screw til, the screen '28 can be then maneuvered into the room by the handles 58 on tool 52.

In Figs. 11 and 12, there are shown the above described cooperative retaining structures for the frames i i and 28 together with a housing 54 which is secured to the frame 28 by the rivets or screws 36 and which encloses against the weather and manual tampering said retaining structures, the housing being open at the bottom only so that the screen can be removed in the above described manner. Provision of this housing 64 necessitates the use of tool 52 in any case of removal or installation of the screen frame 28, whether from inside or outside the detention room.

Although the invention has been described with some detail, the description is not intended to limit the scope of the inventive idea. The right is reserved to make such changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts as will come within the purview of the attached claims.

What I claim is:

1. A device for looking a closure member in place over an opening in a wall and comprising, a pair of clamp supports fixed to the wall adjacent and at opposite sides of the opening therein, an arm for and to be lockingly supported by each of said supports and spacedly fixed to the member in accordance with the spacing between said supports, and a restricted opening between the member and each of said arms for providing communication between the inner and outer sides of the member wherethrough a tool is insertable for releasing said arms from said supports.

2. A device for locking a closure member in place over an opening in a wall and comprising, a pair of supports fixed to the wall adjacent to and on opposite sides of the opening therein, each of said supports including an abutment member and a clamping member, each of said clamping members being normally engageable with the wall at a spaced distance from its respective abutment member and having a portion arranged perpendicularly to the wall, and a pair of arms fixed to the closure member and operable for abutting engagement with saidabutment members in opposed relation to said perpendicular portions of said clamping members whereby movement of the closure member from said abutment members past said perpendicular portions is positively prevented.

3. A device for looking a closure member in place over an opening in a wall and comprising, a pair of supports fixed to the wall adjacent to and on opposite sides of the opening therein, each of said supports including an abutment member and a clamping. member, each of said clamping members being normally engageable with the wall at a spaced distance from its respective abutment member. and having a portion arranged perpendicularly to the wall, a pair of arms fixed to the closure member and operable for abutting engagement with said abutment members in opposed relation to saidperpendicw lar portions of said clamping members whereby movementof the closure member from said abutment members past said perpendicular portions is positively prevented, and a cover for each of said supports and said arm supported thereby for rendering same inaccessible.

4. A device for looking a closure member in place over an opening in a wall and comprising, a pair of supports fixed to the wall. adjacent to and on opposite sides of the opening therein, each of said supports including an abutment member and a clamping member, each of said clamping members being normally engageable with thewall at a spaced distance from its respective abutment member and having a portion arranged. perpendicularly to the wall, a pair of arms fixed to the closure member and operable for abutting engagement with said abutment members in opposed relation to said perpendicular portions of said clamping members whereby movement of the closure member from said abutment members past said perpendicular portions is positively prevented, and a restricted opening through the closure member adjacent the position of each of said clamping members through which a tool is inserted for releasing said clamping members from said arms.

5. A device for looking a closure member in place over an opening in a Wall and comprising, a pair of clamp supports fixed to the wall adjacent and at opposite sides of the opening therein, each of said supports having a cam surface, an arm for and to be lockingly supported by each of said supports and spacedly fixed to the member in accordance with the spacing between said supports, and a restricted opening between the member and each of said arms for providing communication between the inner and outer sides of the member wherethrough a tool is insertable for engaging said cam surfaces and releasing said arms from said supports.

6. A device for looking a closure member in place over an opening in a wall and comprising, a pair of supports fixed to the wall adjacent to and on opposite sides of the opening therein, each of said supports including an abutment member and a clamping member, each of said clamping members being normally engageable with the wall at a spaced distance from its respective abutment member and having a portion arranged perpendicularly to the wall, each of said clamping members also having a cam surface, a pair of arms fixed to the closure member and operable for abutting engagement with said abutment mem bers in opposed relation to said perpendicular portions of said clamping members whereby movement of the closure member from said abutment members past said perpendicular portions is positively prevented, and a restricted opening through the closure member adjacent the position of each of said clamping members through which a tool is inserted for engaging said cam surfaces and releasing said clamping members from said arms.

7. A device for looking a closure member in place over an opening in a wall and comprising, a clamp support fixed to the wall adjacent the opening therein, an arm for and to be lockingly supported by said support and fixedly positioned onto the member in accordance with the positioning of said support, and a restricted opening between the member and said arm for preventing communication between the inner and outer sides of the member wherethrough a tool is insertable for releasing said arm from said support.

8. A device for looking a closure member in place over an opening in a wall and comprising, a support fixed to the wall adjacent the opening therein, said support including an abutment member and a clamping member, said clamping member being normally engageable with the wall at a spaced distance from said abutment member and having a portion arranged perpendiou- 9. A device forlocking a closure member in place over an opening in a wall and comprising, a support fixed to the wall adjacent the opening therein, said support including an abutment member and a clamping member, said clamping member being normally engageable with the wall at a spaced distance from said abutment member and having a portion arranged perpendicularly to the wall, an arm fixed to the closure member and operable for abutting engagement with said abutment member in opposed relation to said perpendicular portion of said clamping member whereby movement of the closure member from said abutment member past said perpendicular portion is positively prevented, and a cover for said support and said arm supported thereby for rendering same inaccessible.

.10. A device for looking a closure member in place over an opening in a wall and comprising, a support fixed to the wall adjacent the opening therein, said support including an abutment member and a clamping member, said clamping member being normally engageabie with the wall at a spaced distance from said abutment member and having a portion arranged perpendicularly to the wall, an arm fixed to the closure member and operable for abutting engagement with said abutment member in opposed relation to said perpendicular portion of said clamping member whereby movement of the closure member from said abutment member past said perpendicular portion is positively prevented, and a restricted opening through the closure member adjacent the position of said clamping member through which a tool is inserted for releasing said clamping member from said arm.

11. A device for looking a closure member in place over an opening in a Wall and comprising, a clamp support fixed to the wall adjacent the opening therein, said support having a cam surface, an arm for and to be lockingly supported by said support and fixedly positioned onto the member in accordance with the positioning of said support, and a restricted opening between the member and said arm for preventing communication between the inner and outer sides of the member wherethrough a tool is insertable for engaging said cam surface and releasing said arm from said support.

12. A device for looking a closure member in place over an opening in a wall and comprising, a support fixed to the wall adjacent the opening therein, said support including an abutment member and a clamping member, said clamping member being normally engageable with the wall at a spaced distance from said abutment member and having a portion arranged perpendicularly to the wall, said clamping member also having a cam surface, an arm fixed to the closure member and operable for abutting engagement with said abutment member in opposed relation to said perpendicular portion of said clamping member whereby movement of the closure member from said abutment member past said perpendicular portion is positively prevented, and a restricted opening through the closure member adjacent the position of said clamping member through which a tool is inserted for engaging said cam surface and releasing said clamping member from said am.

LOUIS F. JULDEN. 

